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This book title sums it up well. Family Feasts for $75 a Week: A Penny-wise Mom Shares Her Recipe for Cutting Hundreds from Your Monthly Food Bill is not just a book of cost-cutting methods (in fact, she doesn’t even use coupons!). In aiding the reader to save on her monthly “food bill,” Mary Ostyn challenges the reader to look at all places were money is spent on food, including trips to the coffee shop, fast food, and eating out.
The book is 1/3 narrative about her money-saving habits, and 2/3 recipes, since cooking — and cooking from scratch for the most part — is the primary way to realize significant savings on food.
Mary Ostyn asserts that she is confident that most people could save $100 a month by making most of the changes she suggests, but she challenges each reader to set her own goal, and to make changes gradually so that they will stick.
If you don’t like to cook, or don’t feel like you can cook well, don’t be intimidated by these recipes. Although most are from scratch — not using expensive and over-processed products — they are fairly accessible to even a beginner cook.
Some people might balk at some of the international recipes that she shares, but she encourages you to give them a try, since these recipes generally rely on things other than meat to give them flavor. While the recipes included are not typically “kids’ fare,” they are healthy and the kind of thing that could appeal to most children’s palates after a few exposures.
I’ve tested three of the recipes so far: the Spinach Fritatta, Grandma’s Mushroom Chicken, and Chili Corn Pone Pie. They were all a hit! My 11-year-old daughter balked at the spinach, but ate it anyway. I made the second two dishes when my sister-in-law was visiting, and she and I could have eaten a vat of the delicious mushroom gravy that was featured in the chicken dish. Better yet, her 4-year-old daughter enjoyed them both as well.
I have tried a lot of recipes in my lifetime and generally know when one will succeed, or if it’s not something that is easy enough to make on a regular basis, and the other recipes that I marked to try soon are sure to be a success as well.
This book would be a terrific gift for a new bride or anyone looking to get more familiar with cooking, an art that has been lost by many. Do you want to treat your family to Family Feasts for $75 a Week? Buy Mary Ostyn’s book now.
A bit about the author: Many of you may know Mary Ostyn from her blog Owlhaven.net, where one of her frequent and popular topics is feeding her large family on a budget. Speaking of large families, she also wrote A Sane Woman’s Guide to Raising a Large Family (linked to my review). And in the interest of full disclosure, she was my roommate on the trip to the Dominican Republic that we took last November with Compassion Bloggers. It’s been my privilege to feature these books, and because I’ve enjoyed them each so much, I’ll gladly review any book she writes without reservation (or bias if I can manage it!).
But wait — FIVE of you won’t need to buy it (actually, I’d buy it anyway and give it to a friend if you win it). Just leave a comment here now as your entry, and I’ll announce the winners in next week’s book column.
The two winners of Sue Monk Kidd’s Traveling with Pomegranates are #50 Karen K. (@yahoo) and #69 Shawna F. (@hotmail).
Contributing editor Jennifer Donovan manages 5 Minutes for Books and contributes to 5 Minutes for Giveaways. She blogs at Snapshot.
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{ 108 comments… read them below or add one }
Um, yes please! I need all the help I can get with my cooking and my grocery budget!
Mary is a huge inspiration – her family & adoption stories are so wonderful. I was lucky enough to have met her last summer at BlogHer and have been a big fan ever since.
I know that we spend way too much money on food and that is where I primarily blow any kind of budget. Sounds like I need this book!
I’d love to win this! I’m always looking for new books with ways to save money and great recipes from scratch!
I know just the friend who would love this book. Plus he’d share it with me too! Sounds like a great book.
This book sounds great! I’m sure my family would benefit from it.
I’m subscribed to your feed through Google Reader.
I get the newsletter!
I want this one…not just because I’m a fan of Mary at Owlhaven and her family, but because living overseas means I need recipe books that don’t rely on processed foods only available in the US.
This sounds like a great book for our family!
I could definitely use this right now. Thanks.
Please enter me in the contest! Thanks!
I have been wanting to check out this book. Thanks for offering!
I’m looking for budget help =) I’ve had this on my wishlist for awhile! Thanks!
This sounds like a great book.
I live off of menu planning books! This one looks like it would be a great addition to my collection!
I’d love a chance!
thanks!!
I’d love a chance to check out this cookbook!! Thanks!
I’m a subscriber.
I get the email newsletter.
I’ve got your button on my sidebar.
I would love a copy of this!
Ooooh! This would be awesome!
This sounds like a great book!
This sounds like a wonderful book!
Would love to give it a try!
This sounds like the perfect book for my family!
Oh this is just the book i need, i spend a fortune on groceries weekly.
My family and I sooo need this book! My fingers are crossed that I win!
This sounds like a great book. I enjoy her blog.
This book sounds great!
I would love to win Mary’s book. Always on the lookout for new recipes.
I would love to check this book out and see how it would work for our family! Thanks for the contest!
Staciele(at)netins(dot)net
This book sounds awesome! Thanks for this giveaway.Please enter me
Thanks,
fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com
Sounds like a great book.
I’d LOVE to win this for my family!
I’d love to win this!
lisaanne29AThotmailDOTcom
Although I think we do pretty good in the grocery budget area (about $100/week for our family of 9) I’d love to find out more ways I can save and still provide healthy meals for my family.
I could definitely use this!
I would love it, I’m sure!
This sounds like a great resource! Thanks so much for the chance!
I would love a copy of this.
Looks great! Please enter me.
This looks like such a wonderful resource!
I could so use a book like this…and I would share with my friend who’s family is even larger than mine.
With 3 kids and 1 income, this would be a huge help!
Guess I have to read it to believe it. I spend more than that every week on a family half her size!
I have five kids and would definitely be interested in her tips and tricks for saving money on meals!
What a great book. I’d love to win this!
Oh, this looks so good. I could use it for sure.
Oh, I’ve wanted this since I first read about it!!
This would be such a great resource!
I’d love to win!
Oh, how awesome! I am constantly looking to reduce our monthly food bill, especially with #3 coming the the spring! I try so hard t obe frugal…I’d love to win this book! Thanks!
Count me in!
This sounds like a great book! Having a family of 5, we’re trying to find ways to eat healthy but not spend an arm & a leg on groceries! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book!
I’d love a chance to win a copy. Thank you so much for the giveaway!
I’d love to win a copy of this book. I’m a single parent with a child on college now *gulp* and I need all the help I can get trimming my budget! Thanks for the giveaway.
This looks like such a fun book! Thanks for the giveaway!
Would LOVE to add this book to by cookbook library…thanks.
You had me drooling at the mushroom gravy. This sounds delish. Yes, I would like to win this cookbook.
i’d love to win. looks like a great book!
I would love this book! Sounds so very helpful.
I subscribe to your feed.
This looks like a great book!
Thanks for the opportunity!
Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Thanks again for the great review and a chance to win!
Looking forward to it! Thanks for the opportunity and great review!
I would love this book! I spend well over $100 a week for a family of 4 (2 adults, an 11 year old, and a 1 year old). I could reallylearn from this book! thanks for the opportunity to win it.
lovemykidsandbooks at gmail dot com
I would love this. I am really trying to cooke more and doing it on a budget would be great.
I would love to add this book to my cookbook collection. Thanks for the opportunity.
I would love to discover new and delicious recipes that actually save me money.
I would love this cookbook. It would suit my frugal lifestyle especially when my budget is so tight right now.
shopgurl101 at gmail dot com
This sounds great for me…I’m pretty frugal, with my family of 6…but we’re jumping to a family of 8 in January, and losing my income in the mix…I can use all of the advice I can get!
i’d love to win we are a family of 7 so i am always looking for way to save
looks great – thanks!
I could use this book! I have so much trouble sticking to a food budget, and thinking of interesting (and inexpensive!) things to cook!
I’d like anything new to get the grocery bills back in line!
I could really use the money saving and cooking tips. My husband just got layed off yesterday so we need to learn to get by on less for the time being anyway.
This looks like a practical and fun book to win. I’m always looking for new recipes and for saving money.
I’m in desperate need of this book!
I think Mary is great, and I’ve been waiting for this book to be released. She’s such an inspiration!
The more I hear about this book the more I want it. lol! Thanks for the great giveaway!
Twitter: longwait4bella
October 6, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I think this sounds like a great book!
I have had this on my Amazon wish list and would love to win it–I’m all for cooking and saving money!
WOuld love to get new money saving recipes–we hust bought a house and need to get busy saving!!!
I have 2 boys, 13 & 16, and boy can they eat. They are eating us out of house and home! Our grocery bill has been steadily rising.
I know I have been needing a change in this avenue for awhile…and a book to tell me how would be great! Thanks!
I could use some suggestions on cooking meals and on saving money as my hubby has just been laid off. I’m sure many have the same story.
Anyway, enter me in the contest! Thanks
This would be a great addition to my kitchen!
I saw this book at Barnes & Noble and wondered if it was worth buying. I would love to win it.
This sounds like a great book! I’m not a wonderful cook, and often go for convenience because I’m not too sure of my own skills. But I’d love to teach myself how to do more in the kitchen. Thanks for the chance to enter!
Sounds like a fabulous book!
This would be great! Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for sharing I am going to have to get this book.
I love this idea! I could use the help!
I’m a mom to a 9 month old infant son, a wife to a stay at home dad, a student trying to get my MA in early childhood education to be a school teacher, and we all live with my mother. As the sole provider in the house, this book would be treasured and greatly appreciated because just last night I was coming home from school and crying at how we are living paycheck to paycheck and we cannot even afford to get our own place. These are the sacrifices I make to ensure my son has the best, like daddy staying home and not having a stranger watch my son while mommy’s at work.
I would love a chance to win this book. Thank you.
I have heard a few people mention this book recently. I’m eager to read it!
Im a subscriber!
I recently requested this book from our public library. It is a great book! I almost can’t bring myself to take it back!LOL! We are a family of 4(2 adults, 1teen and 1 tween) I have used several of the recipes here and they are YUM! They don’t take a lot of exotic foods! Though there are some ethnic cuisine that I am trying to get my picky family to try. All in all, Great book that would be good for a beginner as well as any seasoned cook!
This looks like a great book, especially in today’s economy. THanks!
I receive your newsletter. Thanks!
I’m an RSS subscriber. Thanks!
I’d love to save money at the grocery store. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Boy, could we use this book!
I’d love to give this book a try! thanks
I will in fact buy these books. My next stop will be Amazon.
I think the ideas from these books sound so perfectly sensible that they are worth exploring.